Archive for March, 2016

I have prepared an account of the February GPOP City Committee election. You can find this article here along with a photo of the new City Committee.

The GPOP Presidential Caucus will take place at 10:30 am on Saturday, April 16, at the Ethical Humanist Society, 1906 South Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia. Please mark your calendar now because you will want to be there to cast your ballot for “The Greater Good, Not the Lesser Evil.”

Now I would like to bring you up to date on what has happened since Report #7, which you received on February 28.

Task: Organize Campaign Workers
You have now received three nomination papers (and a clipboard, if you requested one). Included was a two-sided flyer, “2016 Petitioning Instructions”/”Petitioning Made Easy.” If you have any questions, please contact me. Please note that two of the nomination papers I dropped off at your home do not have “2. County of Signers” filled in. Please fill in that space as you need them. Each page may contain signatures from only one county: Philadelphia, Montgomery, etc. As soon as you need more petitions, please let me know.
We now have a new Representative, Beverly, our second in Roxborough, Ward 21. I have also added Charles Sherrouse to our list of GPOP Representatives for Ward 54, Oxford Circle, because he has expressed interest in working on petitioning for ballot access.

Here are also some excellent events where you may collect signatures as the weather warms up: April 26. The Primary Election is absolutely the best place for you to collect signatures because it is the most concentrated group of registered voters. Please make time to volunteer at your neighborhood polling place between 7:00 am and 8:00 pm. There will be a good turnout because of the presidential sweepstakes, and every single voter is permitted to sign your nomination paper.May 1. The May Day Festival in Clark Park, 43rd Street and Baltimore Avenue, usually has a good turnout. We will have a Green Party table which you can use as a base. Bring your children or grandchildren because the playground there is excellent.May 1. Chestnut Hill Home and Garden Festival is not as good as the May Day Festival, but it might be more convenient for you. There will be many Montgomery County voters, so be sure that you have Montgomery County nomination papers with you. If you need more petitions, please contact me the week before, because I will be in Clark Park on 5/1.May 7. Mount Airy Day, http://www.mtairyday.org/, is always a good place to collect signatures, and it is fun for the whole family: live music on two stages, a Kid Zone, and plenty of vendors. The Green Party will have a table which you can use as a base.May 21. Rittenhouse Row Spring Festival. Six blocks of Walnut Street (including Rittenhouse Square) will host 50,000 visitors. Beyond the eats, there’s also live music, free wine tastings, fashionable shopping and more.
Please let us know of street festivals in your neighborhood.

Let’s recruit more GPOP Representatives. Please send me the contact information for any of your friends or neighbors who say they might be interested in volunteering for the Green Party in their own neighborhood.

Task: Build an Infrastructure to Win Elections
On March 8, I took part in a Media Strategy Conference Call organized by the national Green Party, I got to meet around 20 Green Party media representatives from California, District of Columbia, Oregon, New York, North Carolina, and Washington. It surprised me to learn that the Green Party U.S. has resources to help members like us who are working locally to build the party.
There will be a Media Workshop Conference Call on March 22 for people like you who would like to learn more about building the Green Party’s presence in the local media. Please let me know if you would like to attend this conference call as the Philadelphia delegate.
In addition to media work, we still need volunteers to help us with website construction, email list, and fundraising. Can you help with any of these projects? Do you have any of the required skills? If not, are you ready to learn these skills?

Task: Recruit Green Party Candidates
I believe we are about finished recruiting candidates to run for office on the Green Party ballot in 2016. Of course, we can still add more candidates, but we had best begin our search for people who would like to run for office next year. In my next report, I will outline the elected offices which will be contested in 2017.

Please respond to this email and let me know what you would like to do to help us build the Green Party.
It is Good to be Green,
Chris Robinson, 215-843-4256
nwgreens@yahoo.com
Membership Secretary
Green Party of Philadelphia

PS: Members of the GPOP EOW Group are called “GPOP Representatives.” According to a motion approved by the GPOP membership on September 30, 2015, the EOW Group has three tasks: “recruiting Green Party candidates who will campaign for office; organizing people to work on those campaigns; and building an infrastructure that will be able to win electoral campaigns.”
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By Chris Robinson.
Lindsay Roth and Kelly Sebetka spoke with members and friends of the Green Party of Philadelphia (GPOP) at Green Night Out on March 12. Discussing “Sex and Public Policy,” Roth told her audience, “Legislators in Harrisburg design new bills without consulting the people who will be affected, especially sex workers.” Roth is executive director of Project SAFE, an all-volunteer organization providing advocacy and support for women working in street economies, including sex workers. Sebetka is a volunteer with Project SAFE.

There are four legal models for controlling sex work, according to Roth: criminalization (like Pennsylvania), partial criminalization (like Sweden), legalization (like part of Nevada), and decriminalization (like New Zealand). Most sex-worker-rights activists endorse decriminalization, which has been shown to work. Green Party members present were critical of their party’s support for partial criminalization of sex work, and they agreed to seek a change in the Green Party platform.
Roth and Sebetka also discussed a bill under consideration in Harrisburg. Senate Bill (SB) 851, also known as, ‘Safe Harbor’ legislation, according to Roth, “needs a lot of work before it will actually serve the interests of young people. We worry that poorly written legislation, like this, will blur the line between the criminal justice and social service systems. Law enforcement officers are not trained to provide services to youth. This legislation should require that youth survivors of the sex trade be included in the training of law enforcement officers.”
“At-risk youth should be formally included in the development of this legislation,” said Sebetka, “to protect the priorities of those most impacted. There should also be a non-discrimination clause that will insure LGBTQ youth not only have access to critical services,” Sebetka continued, “ but also that those services are safe, welcoming, and tailored to meet the needs of all youth.”

At the General Membership Meeting of the Green Party of Philadelphia (GPOP) on February 24, I received the 2016 Green Party Nomination Papers. GPOP Representatives like you and I will be the volunteers who collect signatures from our neighbors – and who recruit other people to help us. I plan to drop off nomination papers at your home next week. Please let me know if you need a legal-sized clipboard.
At the GPOP meeting, Eric and I traded offices. Eric is now City Committee Member at Large, and I am now Membership Secretary. Hillary, the other GPOP Representative running, was re-elected to be Treasurer. I plan to write something about the new GPOP City Committee. If you have questions for me to pose to them, please send them to me soon – like, right away!
Now I would like to bring you up to date on what has happened since Report #6, which you received on February 9. http://www.gpop.org/news/?p=1888.

Task: Recruit Green Party Candidates
I believe we are about finished recruiting candidates to run for office on the Green Party ballot in 2016. The nomination papers we are working with include: candidates for President and Vice President of the U.S., PA Attorney General, PA Auditor General, and PA State Treasurer. Any additional candidates will have to be registered as Green Party voters before March 28.
I regret that we have not yet been able to recruit any candidates for PA State Representative. Each State Representative Division is roughly one-third the size of a City Council District in population and geography. This is the easiest office campaign to run, and it is a good jumping-off point for people who are beginning a political career.
Prof. Vera Cole, known as the “guru of solar energy” in PA, sent me contact information for John Brown, who she believes would make a good Green Party candidate for PA State Representative. I have written to John Brown, and I will let you know what he has to say.
I have also been in touch with a lawyer, MK Feeney, about running for Philadelphia District Attorney in 2017. She is now building a private practice (after 14 years as an assistant district attorney), and she is not yet prepared to become a public figure. Perhaps tomorrow!

Task: Organize Campaign Workers
There are many good places where you can collect signatures on nomination papers. I prefer farmers markets, dog runs in the park, and the steps of Weavers Way Co-op. There are also some excellent events scheduled as the weather warms up.April 26. The Primary Election is absolutely the best place for you to collect signatures because it is the most concentrated group of registered voters. Please make time to volunteer at your neighborhood polling place between 7:00 am and 8:00 pm. There will be a good turnout because of the presidential sweepstakes, and every single voter is permitted to sign your nomination paper.May 1. The May Day Festival in Clark Park, 43rd Street and Baltimore Avenue, usually has a good turnout. We will have a Green Party table which you can use as a base. Bring your children or grandchildren because the playground there is excellent.May 1. Chestnut Hill Home and Garden Festival, is not as good as the May Day Festival, but it might be more convenient for you. There will be many Montgomery County voters, so be sure that you have Montgomery County nomination papers with you.May 7. Mount Airy Day, is always a good place to collect signatures, and it is fun for the whole family: live music on two stages, a Kid Zone, and plenty of vendors. The Green Party will have a table which you can use as a base.
Please let us know of street festivals in your neighborhood.

The GPOP Presidential Caucus will take place on Saturday, April 16, and you will receive an invitation to attend and to cast your ballot.
We each have work to do in recruiting more GPOP Representatives. Please send me the contact information for any of your friends or neighbors who say they might be interested in volunteering for the Green Party in their own neighborhood.

Task: Build an Infrastructure to Win Elections
The following GPOP Representatives were elected to office at the Green Party Membership Meeting on February 24: Treasurer Hillary Kane (Ward 46), and Eric Hamell and Chris Robinson (both from Ward 59). The other GPOP City Committee members are not yet GPOP Representatives. Perhaps tomorrow they will join us.
I have to admit that I have not worked very hard on this task because the others seemed to be so much more urgent. The Green Party still needs volunteers to help us with the following: website construction, email list, publicity and fundraising. Can you help with any of these projects? Do you have any of the required skills? If not, are you ready to learn these skills?

Please respond to this email and let me know what you would like to do to help us build the Green Party.It is Good to be Green,
Chris Robinson, 215-843-4256
nwgreens@yahoo.com
Membership Secretary
Green Party of Philadelphia
PS: Members of the GPOP EOW Group are called “GPOP Representatives.” According to a motion approved by the GPOP membership on September 30, 2015, the EOW Group has three tasks: “recruiting Green Party candidates who will campaign for office; organizing people to work on those campaigns; and building an infrastructure that will be able to win electoral campaigns.”
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On February 24, 2016, members of the Green Party of Philadelphia (GPOP) energized their local party by electing a new leadership. Meeting at the Ethical Humanist Society on Rittenhouse Square, registered green activists listened to candidate remarks and then cast secret ballots.

New GPOP City Committee (plus one friend)

The new Chair of the Philadelphia Greens will be Galen Jah Tyler, who was a Member-at-Large of the City Committee for the last two years. Tyler said, “I plan to kick off introductory meetings for registered Greens. These monthly social events will help unite our members and educate them about the role of the Green Party as the main opposition to the two corporate parties.” Tyler, who lives in Torresdale (Ward 65), is director of the Kensington Welfare Rights Union and a founding member of the Poor Peoples Economic Human Rights Campaign.

Charles Sherrouse was elected as a new City Committee Member-at-Large. He said, “My priority will be getting Greens involved with ballot access petitioning across the city, and extending our campaign outreach to campuses. The Green Party’s performance in the 2015 City Council race has earned us state recognition as a political party in Philadelphia, which can help boost our membership.” Sherrouse lives in Oxford Circle (Ward 54), and he was a founding member of GPOP, having served on the City Committee more than a decade ago.

Green Party members are prepared for Sherrouse’s initiative. They formed an Electoral Operations Working Group in 2015 with three tasks: recruiting candidates for electoral office, organizing registered Greens to work on those campaigns, and creating a campaign infrastructure.

The Green Party members also elected Belinda Davis as GPOP Recording Secretary. Davis said, “I will focus not only on electoral politics, but also on bringing people together in political action that champions social justice, ecology, grassroots democracy, and non-violence.” She was referring here to the Green Party’s Four Pillars. Davis first became active with GPOP in 2004, working on a campaign for Philadelphia City Council. She lives in Chestnut Hill (Ward 9), and had been treasurer of GPOP during 2011 and 2012.

The other four members of the Green’s leadership were re-elected, some to new offices. Hillary Kane retained her seat as Treasurer, and Julian Robinson was re-elected as Member-at-Large. Kane and J. Robinson both live in Cedar Park (Ward 46). Eric Hamell was re-elected to the GPOP City Committee, this time as Member At Large, while Chris Robinson was returned in a different capacity as Membership Secretary. Both Hamell and C. Robinson live in Germantown (Ward 59).

The Green Party is an independent political party founded on the four pillars of nonviolence, grassroots democracy, ecological wisdom and social justice. For more information about the Green Party or to become a member, please call 215-843-4256 or email gpop@gpop.org.

1. Announcements:2/25 Town Hall Meeting on Gentrification, 6-9 pm, and the AFSC, 15th and Cherry Streets2/26-2/28 United OPT-OUT: The movement to end corporate education reform, conference, Jill Stein will be speaking at the conference on Sunday morning at 9:00 am. There are still a few tickets available for this specifically; contact Kristin Combs, kristin.r.combs@gmail.co, right away, if interested. http://unitedoptout.com/3/12 Green Night Out, 6:30 pm, Lindsey Roth of Project Safe, will speak on “Sex and Public Policy.” $25/person includes full dinner (incl. vegetarian), talk/discussion, and contribution to GPOP. Su Xing House, 1508 Sansom, http://www.suxinghouse.com/index.html.4/2 Beef and Beer Dinner and Dance Party Fundraiser for May Day USA Education Committee, SEIU Local at 5th and Spring Garden.4/16 Panel “Syria: Peace or Endless War,” Phyllis Benes keynote, 3:00 p.m., Friends Center, 1501 Cherry St. Chris Robinson moved that event be endorsed by GPOP; approved by consensus. [This event was later cancelled by the organizers.]4/30 Green Party of PA Presidential Caucus Meeting, Harrisburg7/25 March for Our Lives, activities all day of the opening day of the DNC convention in Philadelphia. Chris Robinson moved that event be endorsed by GPOP; approved by consensus.

2. Caucus for the Green Presidential Candidate
Members determined to hold the caucus, open to all registered Greens in Philadelphia, along with a number of panels/workshops, on Saturday, 4/16, ca. 12-4 (definite time, place, and schedule TBD). Possible panel topics include petitioning for the presidential candidate; preparation for the March for Our Lives event; actions on the School Reform Committee; fighting racism; actions on poisoned water in Flint and elsewhere; party outreach and membership; fundraising.
Volunteers to organize the afternoon’s events include Hillary Kane, Galen Tyler, Charles Sherrouse, Vivek Anathan, and Belinda Davis. This caucus and workshop will not be in lieu of our monthly membership meeting, which will take place as all monthly meetings on the fourth Wednesday of the month (in April, on the 27th).